This was such a mistake! I've just finished seven months of Invisalign, and my teeth and bite are nowhere near where they are supposed to be according to the computer projection I was shown when I was sold on the job.
I went through this extremely disruptive procedure (forget all that hype about the trays being invisible...they are awful, as are the "buttons") to correct a painful bite problem, which was causing migraines. My bite has improved, but my migraines intensified markedly during the Invisalign treatment. I have had to resort to numerous medications and acupuncture for relief (very expensive, and the medications have made me ill). Just a couple of weeks ago, my dentist's colleague -- and there is a huge mistake I made...I went to an Invisalign dentist instead of an orthodontist -- dropped the news that the seven months I was quoted was not necessarily the full treatment period. In truth, I will be evaluated at the end and a decision will be made as to whether my teeth need to be "refined" with more trays! I will need to have the "buttons" (these are cement attachments that give the trays something to pull on) removed from my teeth, have impressions made and sent off, wait for trays, come back to have more buttons put on, and wear the blasted trays for more weeks, and weeks, and weeks. Then I will have to wear the retainer for six months -- all the time. I haven't smiled in seven months, and it looks like it will be much longer than that before I can.
I was told none of these little details when this dentist sold me the job. I wasn't even told about the "buttons" (there was some comment that I'd probably need to have some "attachments" but that they were "nothing")! Or how the buttons would scratch up my mouth when I ate. Or how my mouth and tongue would swell up, painfully, until I got used to the irritating effect of the trays. It is horrible to wake up in the morning with a dry and sour mouth full of plastic trays.
I do not recommend this treatment to anyone. If you already have Invisalign and have trouble with rough edges on the trays (per another review here), use the softer side of an emory board (nail file) to smooth them. Soak them briefly in a solution of half Listerine and half water twice a week, and then brush them with a small amount of toothpaste to keep them clean. Besides killing germs, the Listerine will color the gunk on the trays that you can't see, and you can brush it off. Drink loads of water -- the trays make your mouth dry and irritated, which will encourage bacteria. And kiss your social life (and romantic life) goodbye until the trays are gone. They give you bad breath, make you speak oddly, discolor your teeth, and make most people clench their mouths to hide their teeth so that they look unpleasant.
1/7/08
I just finished 11 months of invisilign and could not be happier, my teeth are perfectly straight and never had any problems. I would do it all over if I had to. My love life did not suffer at all, as long as you keep your teeth an trays clean there are no problems
1/9/08
Just to clarify, my comment on lovelife problems had to do largely with the "buttons" and the irritation caused by them (although sleeping next to someone, much less meeting someone -- and I happen to be married, my dears -- with a mouthful of plastic is hardly sexy...unless of course you're into boxing or football or something, and to each his/her own in that area!). I have eight buttons on my teeth, and they are like rough coral scratching against the inside of my mouth. Enough said there, I hope.
I keep my teeth and trays spotless, thank you very much. I still get horrible breath with them in place. It has to do with the dry mouth and irritation these things cause. I'm willing to bet that luvmyteeth got rotten breath with them too, whether friends told him/her about it or not.
BTW, I was advised to use Biotene rinse by my regular dentist, and it is also recommended for dry mouth. It made the problems with Invisalign worse. I had better results just taking out the trays several times a day and rinsing thoroughly with water (on top of the brushing and flossing after meals, of course). And drinking water constantly.
1/19/08
I love my invisalign. Although they were more expensive than I would have liked, the result were stunning for a small inconvenience. I had none of the problems you mentioned. My buttons smoothed out pretty quickly. No bad smells or discomfort, except for a couple hours when I put a new set on. People are surprised when I tell them I'm wearing them. They do make my mouth dry, but I am on medication that does that too. I love the option of taking them off for a night on the town. I have even been getting lax and don't wear them much during the day, and they are still showing results. I would recommend them to everyone that wants braces!
1/21/08
I am about to be in my sixth aligner. I do not really see any results as of yet, but I definatly see the difference. The only problem I am having is my bite. Through the many changes my teeth are making, I have a terrible time chewing, it seems, I bite my mouth, right by my bottom button, at least once per meal. It is enough to cry over sometimes. I do feel that I didnt get gipped-I went to a dental spa, and my dentist is a full dentist and does everything under the sun. They were not trying to sell me invisalign, I wanted it, seeing as I am in the customer service industry. According to my computer I should start to see my bottom teeth "really" change to strait around my 8 aligner. I am supposed to have a total of 12 on top and 16 on bottom. I dont feel that it makes my breath bad "all" the time, in the morning my husband says it horrendous, but they are harder than I thought to keep clean. I really scrub them or I dont feel happy to put them back on. If you are worried about teeth staining than I recommend Nite Wite- it is a super brand and it whitens them right up!
1/23/08
People complaining about a "mouth full of plastic" and about the "buttons" obviously have unrealistic expectations. You are expecting a dentist to straighten your teeth magically, without any kind of appliance... this isn't possible! You need to think about the alternatives -- metal braces! Invisalign is by far preferable over traditional metal braces. You can remove it, so it's way easier to take care of bad breath and such... Imagine if you had metal brackets, it would be much harder to clean your teeth. Not to mention far less sexy than clear plastic. As for the buttons, it serves the same purpose as the little "donuts" that metal braces use to grab onto your teeth and move them. Attachments are necessary to move your teeth; teeth don't just move on their own, nor do they move easily. The difference is that they are tooth-colored. This is as invisible as you can possibly get while straightening your teeth. If invisalign is so horrible, maybe you should have gotten metal braces... I have a feeling you would have felt a lot worse with those (and your mouth would have been far more scratched up); either that, or the alternative -- learn to live with crooked teeth!
1/30/08
I have had my Invisalign for 1 year and 2 months. I went to an orthodontist. My treatment was scheduled to be 10 months but after my last tray it was apparent that my bite was off although my overbite had been corrected so they took the pictures, etc, etc and I have an additional 5 or 6 months at no additional charge. I only drink water with them in, had no problem with dry mouth or bad breath. I soak them in water with a denture tablet every other day and they stay very clean. I lost quite a few pounds because the first 4 or 5 trays were so painful for the first week that I preferred not to eat to taking them out to eat. That eventually changed to 2 days of tolerable pain to discomfort with each tray change. I also got indigestion the first month, something I don't suffer from, because I couldn't grind my food enough. I stopped eating solid red meat and ate softer foods and that stopped. I have impeccable oral cleansing now with all kinds of devices and that is a good thing. Problems I have had and some I believe are permanent: I was putting pressure on my teeth in my sleep, a habit I did not have, which caused it's own pain. After about 8 months that corrected itself. I spranged my finger once because one tray was so tight, when I was trying to get it out the first time it would not budge and one of my fingers buckled and sprang. That was on my second round so I was pretty competant about getting them in and out. My tongue can't seem to adjust to the changing shape of my mouth and that I think is going to be my biggest issue that will not be solved. My tongue is now wider than the space it inhabits and it hangs over the teeth on the left side of my mouth. I don't grind food as thoroughly as I used to and although you shouldn't anyway, when you use your mouth to grip something like a small ketchup packet, I can't do that any more. Sure enough with my first round I complained about these things and it got better near the very end, but my top and bottom teeth do not "fit" like they used to and probably am not going to go for a 3rd round.
1/31/08
I have had my invisalign for 7 weeks now. I hated them the first few days because I wasn't used to having anything in my mouth. Now I am fine with them. I feel my teeth moving and I'm excited to have straight teeth. I have 7 buttons or attachments and they don't bother me at all. They did say to wear the trays 22 hours a day, and after 2 weeks switch to the next tray. I found that I did not need to wear them that much. Once I put in a set, I wear them as much as I can, but after a week or so I feel as though they have done the work and it is just holding my teeth in place until the next tray. I have tried putting the next tray in after 8 days and it went on fine. My point is that I don't wear them all the time. I will keep them out for several hours in the evening and other times if I am busy. They do make my lips very dry. So far I am happy. I'll try to post every few months to let you know how it is going. Straighter teeth- would you have had the issues with your bit using any type of teeth straightening (regular braces)?
2/2/08
I have had my Invisalign trays (upper and lower) for 5 days now and have been searching for someone to comiserate with. I have nine "buttons" and you have perfectly described the irritation factor as being like coral in your mouth. I have sores on my cheeks from them and see no relief in sight. My dentist failed to mention that I would have these "buttons" or that she would be filing my teeth to make room for movement!! Does the dry mouth factor ever ease up? I am facing 12 -18 months of this, but hate my crooked teeth so much that I would pretty much endure anything. Do you have to take them out to eat or drink everything??? I brush multiple times a day and swish my mouth with Orajel Mouth Sore rinse!!!
2/6/08
I'm on my sixth set of aligners so far, and I have not experienced any of the problems listed here. Yes, there are little buttons but they haven't bothered me in the least! Theres been no discomfort whatsoever, I'm so used to them I don't even realize they're in half the time. I'm already noticing results, the gaps between my teeth are noticeably smaller already. They do make your mouth dry, but I don't find it a reason to complain; drinking more water isn't a bad thing! It's actually done nothing but good for me. I drink more water, have cut soda out of my diet, and I don't snack at all anymore. Its given me the incentive to work out and eat healthier. So far I've lost 18 pounds! I love invisalign and would recommend it to anyone.
2/10/08
Thirteen days in and I am doing much better. The "buttons have worn down some and I am growing accustomed to the trays. On average, how many hours a day shoud these be worn to accomplish straightening in the shortest period of time? Currently I wear mine all the time, except for they are taken out to eat. Can you drink coffee or other beverages with them in. I am afraid of staining tem or having bad breath as a result. I think I am brushing them too much though becasue I see them appearing to have scratches. Any recommendations for solving this problem? I am excited about the prospect of my teeth being beautiful and being able to flash a pearly white smile soon!!
2/10/08
Thanks so very much for the positive, encouraging comments. I have just begun this journey and am looking forward to being where you are now!! How did you keep your trays clean? I have been brushing mine every time I take them out, but they are looking scratched.
2/13/08
An update on my earlier post. I have my new aligners for my "refinement". Five months worth (the initial treatment was projected to be seven months)! I am not happy about that. However, there is one good thing to report. The material of the aligners has changed to a softer, more pliable plastic that is less brittle than before (the last aligners I got were received perhaps twelve weeks ago), and less sharp on the edges. The aligners are pliable enough now that they are no longer packaged in rigid blister packs, but in soft bags. They are much more comfortable on initial insertion -- less tugging on the teeth. They are less irritating in the mouth. I guess Invisalign listens to feedback? They are a little "chewy", though, so I wonder whether that might be a problem for teeth grinders. My bite is improved enough now that my teeth grinding seems to have stopped. I have eight buttons again, unfortunately, but they are smoother and somewhat flatter than before. I'm still not an Invisalign advocate, but I do like to see a company address problems. Now if they could concentrate on monitoring the dentists who market and service their product...
2/17/08
I STARTED INVISALIGN MORE THAN 2 YEARS AGO. I HAD 62 ALIGNERS LOWER AND 62 UPPER. MY TEETH WERE REALLY BAD MY ORTHODONTIST RECOMEMENDED BRACES BUT AS A TEENAGER I DIDNT WANT THEM. SO I DECIDED TO TRY INVISALIGN AND THEY WORKED WONDERS. I REALLY LIKED THE FREEDOM OF BEING ABLE TO TAKE THEM OFF WHEN EVER I WANTED TO. I FINISHED MY TREATMENT ABOUT A MONTH AGO BUT MY DOCTOR DECIDED TO MAKE MORE ALIGNERS BECUASE HE WANTED MY TEETH TO BE PERFECT. RIGHT NOW IM WAITING FOR MY OTHER SET OF INVISALIGN. IT REALLY DOESNT BOTHER ME BECAUSE NO ONE NOTICES AND THE PAIN IS MINIMAL.
2/17/08
Sixty-two aligners, worn two weeks each, equals 124 weeks of treatment (not counting extra weeks in between sets waiting for new aligners to be made, or extra weeks on individual trays)...or roughly 31 months. I put you at going on three years of treatment...and still counting! Poor you....I'd rather have imperfect teeth, myself. Since Invisalign doesn't charge more for extra treatment (or at least that was my deal), they lost money on you.
You are a good one to ask this: Do you think that the aligners are softer now than they were about a year ago (per my previous California Crookedteeth post)? I don't have my old aligners to compare, and I am curious whether the material has really changed, or whether the trays are bothering me less now because the adjustments that are being made for my "refinement" are smaller. The plastic does seem to be much more pliable when I put in a new tray. I used to fear that I would crack new, tight trays because they were so brittle.
Unfortunately, my teeth grinding at night has started again, so I am once again in pain. I think this has less to do with the aligners and more to do with the way my new attachments keep me from completely closing my mouth (so I can't chew normally). One thing better, another thing worse.
4/5/08
I am very interested in getting Invisalign to straighten my teeth. I do have an issue though if anyone can help me out here...
I Grind my teeth Horribly at night and wear a night guard..
Will Invisalign act also as I mouth guard for my teeth Grinding.. Or will I have to use my own mouth guard at night which will push my teeth together and defeat the whole purpese of invisalign..
someone please help me with this!!!
4/6/08
I am thinking about getting Invisalign. I have a few questions that I would love answers to. Okay, now does every patient of Invisalign have to get buttons on their teeth? If they do, then do they hurt while being put on? And, does does invisalign work for any type of crooked teeth, even the worst? Because my teeth would be a 9 on a scale of 1-10, 1 being great teeth and 10 being horribly crooked teeth that you cant live with. Please, anyone's answers would help me so much.
4/7/08
Regarding teeth grinding and night guards, I wore a beach tray as a night guard before Invisalign because the bigger (real) night guards caused so much pain in my jaw. So Invisalign trays do act as night guards to a degree. And there is no way you could use your own night guard if you have Invisalign because you will have buttons, *and* your teeth will be moving, so the guard won't fit anymore! (And if you paid out-of-pocket for the guard, keep that lost expense in mind, too.)
You need to consult with an orthdontist on this. My teeth grinding was initially made much worse by Invisalign -- for about two months or more. I had to take pain medication. The grinding went away eventually, as my bite improved, but then returned with the new set of trays I got for the refinement phase.
Warning: Invisalign softens tooth enamel, so use a flouride gel (you can get it from your denitist). For tooth grinders, it is especially imprtant because your teeth will be moving in the bone of your jaw, and you are grinding, so...you can have pockets in your gums, and decay, and breakage, and PAIN!
Regarding whether everyone has to have buttons, it's my understanding that the answer is yes. But no Invisalign info material or service provider will tell you that! It's simply how the Invisalign system works. The trays need something to pull against, so globs of pumice/cement are glued to certain teeth for the duration of your treatment. The tooth to be glued is first etched with an acid, then the glob is applied, and the Invisalign tray is put on your teeth (there is a bump or blister on the tray where the button is to go -- it fills with the cement). The tray is removed, and the button is polished (to a degree). When the buttons are removed, at the end of treatment, they are ground off with the same tools used in doing fillings. My dentist managed to cut my lip badly while doing this part. I would say that between the acid etching and the grinding off of bumps that there is some loss of enamel. My front teeth had small chips on the bottom edges after all of this abuse. I plan to get veneers when I finish with the refinement trays.
As for how many buttons you get, my teeth were not terribly crooked to start with (probably a 4 on a scale of 10, with all of the misalignment on the bottom), but my bite was way off. I had eight buttons with the first set of trays and nine with the second. They were/are all on front teeth -- visible if I smile.
A lot to think about before you decide to go for treatment!
4/8/08
I just got mine today!!! It took him 20 minutes to put them on. Nothing hurt at all. It's just a little strange having them in my mouth but as everyone say's ill get used to it. I guess the only area im having problems with is eating. I eat nonestop with snacks every 20 minutes or something, but since this, im prolly gonna go with breakfast and dinner only. Unlike all the others, when i put them on, even though my teeth are crooked, i just couldnt stop smiling. They are so cool. And no one notices them.i love it. Hopefully ill feel the same way aboout the results. OH and my dentist also mentioned that with the retainers, invisalign also offers free bleaching. how cool
4/11/08
hi started invisalign over 1 year ago and was supposed to finish 6mths ago. However, my teeth still arent straight and i still have the 4 gaps between the front of my teeth which were made by my dentist to create space for my teeth to move which my dentist said would close up within 3mths. Has anyone else had this problem? and od they have any suggestions?
4/12/08
i totally agree. Braces are a lot faster and invisalign are easy to break or to lose. If you break or lose one of them you're basically screwed. You have to skip to the next one.
I lost 2 in a row once so I had to skip to 3 levels higher. boy was it painful.
4/13/08
I was told they work best on crooked teeth and not so well on bite problems such as lower jaw being receding. I have the buttons and agree they are very irritating. I began to wonder if they were put on for the sole purpose of making sure you didn't keep your trays out of your mouth too long because if you do, you can't stand the irritation on the inside of your mouth. I'm halfway through treatment and feel the worst is over. It was terrible getting used to them in the beginning. It's a lot of plastic in your mouth. I do love though that I can take them out, brush and floss my teeth which of course I couldn't with regular braces.
4/14/08
I'm 5 weeks into my treatment, and already feeling the changes occuring in my teeth moving. I do have a question for Andy (12 apr). How did you lose your aligners? These things are in my mouth about 21 - 22 hours a day. Just curiosity on my part, but how did you lose 2 sets of aligners? Thanks.
4/14/08
Andy's Invisalign provider should have had new trays made to replace the lost ones. That's what my provider told me he would do if I lost or broke one. He said I would move back to the previous aligners (you always keep the previous set of aligners in case you have to move back for any reason) and wait for replacements to be made. Everything is computer designed and on record, so replacements should not be that big of a deal (although you'd probably have to pay extra for your own carelessness if you lost them). By moving up three levels, you endangered the roots of your teeth, Andy. You are really luck you didn't have a broken root (and subsequent root canal) or infected pockets in your gums! I would file a compaint if I were you.
The common way to lose aligners is that people remove them when they're out and wrap them in a tissue or something instead of putting them in their case. The wadded tissue gets tossed, and...no aligners. Or they get placed on a table and the dog takes them. If you always put them in their big plastic case, you're pretty safe.
4/16/08
I am only on the 2nd set of aligners. I have 16 on top and 19 lower.
I only experienced pain on my K9 tooth as it is extremely out of place. My invisalign program is targeting that tooth and also overcrowding of my front teeth.
I've heard a lot of success of this program, including two of my friends. One of my friends had hers completed a few months ago and my second friend is close to the end of her program. Both of their smiles are looking as good as ever! So that's why I've decided that I needed to do something about my smile.
After all the pros I've mentioned, the only explanation I can think of for the issues you've experienced in your program is your ortho. My ortho has been listed as a premium provider on Invisalign website and that is the main reason I went to him. And indeed, a lot of his patients were there for the program, including one of his very own staff!
5/12/08
No, not everyone gets the attachments put on their teeth. I have 7 and my brother has none. No, they don't hurt when they are being put on but they are kind of annoying; and I think that's what makes the invisalign noticable. I might as well have metal in my mouth with the number of people that come up and ask me what's on my teeth. My brother's you don't notice at all, but he has no attachments.
As for how well they have worked, I'm on 8 of 11, and I don't see much progress....
Someone earlier brought up a good question regarding the filing scraping the enamal off the teeth. I'm thinking it probably did. Has anyone had any problems with that?
5/13/08
Going to start my 2nd tray tomorrow. No problems as everyone else is experiencing, maybe just a slight lisp. I noticed it giving a project presentation for a class, learned my lesson and took it out for the another class presentation! It is going well and can't wait to see the results after the 15 upper trays and 13 lower. I have 5 buttons, maybe my teeth weren't as bad off as some others on the board. I'm just glad that wasn't too painful in the beginning, but when it did hurt I just popped some Mortin and was good to go. Also, I have a high pain tolerance, so that must help too. Good luck to everyone else in their treatment.
5/13/08
i'm thinking what should i get for my teeth i braces or invisalign,,, i'm a full time model,go to the gym 3-4 times a week.
when do you smile,how noticeable are they?
5/13/08
Very, very, very in-your-face noticeable. Even more so when you speak. If you are a "full-time model", you can't afford a year of down time (don't believe the initial quote for treatment time -- it always seems to goes over). You need to find out whether you will have attachments (buttons) on your teeth before you commit, because you can't remove those. I think most people in your situation try to fix teeth with something quicker, like veneers or bonding.
Why does going to the gym enter into the equaton???
5/15/08
Their not that noticeable. I think it depends on how many *buttons* you have. I have 6 but 4 are on the bottom teeth so they're not that noticeable. Most people don't even know I have anything on my teeth till they come really close to me which is usually just family and boyfriend so it doesn't bother me too much. The only thing I hate is the dry mouth and not being able to close my mouth all the way. But I'm on day 4 now and it's def gotten alot better.
6/5/08
Metal braces are by far better.
Wearing invisalign prevents saliva from washing the teeth.
Be prepared for more cavities with invisalign.
6/5/08
Funny you say that. I've had them almost 10 months, and in that time period, I have had 3 cavities filled!!!!!!
Somethin ain't right about that. I brush and floss way more with invisalign.
6/6/08
I am wearing the invisalin for 3 days now, and so far so good dealing with the pressure. My problem with this procedure are the attachments which i have in all my teeth except my front 4 teeth in the upper jaw. i am so depressed with the attachments, i just want them remove because i look so weird, plus i cann't enyoy my food. Not only that, but in my next appointmewnt with my ortho, they going to put me more "bottons" on the inside of all the teeth. This whole thing has given me a hard time taking the invisalings off. Putting them on its ok, not to much of a hassel, but taking them out, forget it. I got concern when i was pulling them from my mouth i saw little bleeding in my gums, and is freaking me out. Any advice on how to take them off?
6/6/08
If you don't like a few buttons on your teeth, imagine having metal brackets attached to every single tooth and some teeth wrapped in a metal sleeve and then a wire runs through all the brackets. Imagine what that does to your enamel. I'll take a few buttons anytime over the alternative....
For all those that have had bad times with the invisalign, I would like to suggest that you probably would have had a bad time with metal braces too. I had metal braces for three years when I was 19-21 years old. That was a miserable experience. Many cavaties, very difficult to floss, painful scratching and irratation of the mouth, visually ugly, painful tightening every six weeks, had to refrain from some types of food - had to cut up a lot of my food in small pieces, and the list goes on. Well, after it was done, I was foolish and stopped wearing my retainer after a few months and now 15 years later, my teeth are crooked again and my bite is off. The LAST thing I wanted to do was go through the metal mouth experience again. I have been using invisalign for eight months and since I have experienced both metal braces and invisalign, I'd pick invisalign any day over metal braces. And yes, I have had some unpleasantness with invisalign - hard to remove in the beginning, cavities, teeth got a little stain because I got lazy about brushing and started drinking everything with them in, painful the first day or two with each new tray. But, all that pales in comparison to unpleasantness of the metal braces.......needless to say, I will be wearing my retainer for as long as necessary....
6/6/08
You'll get use to the buttons. I only have 6 but at first it was hard for me to take my tray out too but after the first 5 days it'll get easier. It probably is so hard because its ur first tray and it will loosen up after ur teeth shift.
6/6/08
I am on my 3rd tray and I just got all of the buttons attached. Oh. 15 of them! I hate them. They make my already-messed-up mouth look like a monster cave. I had 12 teeth filed down. My mouth aches, my face is slightly horrifying to me, and my teeth grinding is killing me at night, but I honestly don't regret it. I keep a picture of metal braces in my mind and just try to remain grateful for what is a very luxurious procedure. I don't want to give up smiling, but I can't help but wonder what the next 2 years of treatment will do to my willingness to laugh. I can't blame invisalign for my fucked up mouth... I blame my parent for that. At night, when I slide into bed with my very kind husband who still swears that I am beautiful, I have fantastic sci-fi dreams about a world in which instant teeth-alignment is possible. Yes we can.
6/6/08
I'm just about at the end of treatment. My teeth are straight enough (not nearly as perfect as predicted on the computer model, though), but my bit is still off -- just in a different way than before. Since a bad bite is why I went into this thing...well, I am dissappointed. I didn't have any cavities during treatment (I was very careful with cleaning, I don't drink sodas or fruit juices, and I never drink anything except water with the aligners in) but I've had a lot of chipping and enamel loss on my front teeth that I attribute to the aligners (and to the Invisalign dentists). My speech is different with the new alignment of my teeth, something I am still getting used to. It's left me with a lisp.
I get a different excuse from the dentist's office each time I comment on a problem. The last dentist said that molars retract during treatment and they will reemerge after I stop using the aligners, so my bite will me normal again. Of course, I can't have him alter my bite with the drill in the meantime unless I want to pay for a new retainer (if you alter your teeth after the Invisalign tretment, you need to have new impressions made for a retainer, so it's out of your pocket). And I have to wear the retainers for some time (I have gotten conflicting advice on that matter, too, and so am not sure for how many months or for how many hours per day I should wear them). So this dental practice will be out of the picture by the time my bite starts causing problems -- again. How convenient. And once again I will be paying my regular dentist to adjust my bite, which usually creates more problems than it solves. I see a lot of jaw pain in my future. Thanks Invisalign!
All things taken into consideration...I think Invisalign is just awful.
6/7/08
I think Invisalign is a fantastic product. Moving teeth is never going to be 100% painless, aesthetically pleasing or cheap. But at least with Invisalign (providing you have been properly assessed by a decent professional dentist and are considered to be an ideal candidate), you can have better looking braces that work very fast with the luxury of taking them out.
My treatment is 32 weeks, which, I think is not long at all. My dental health as improved due to less snacking and more regular brushing, rinsing and flossing. I have had no problems with my breath and only had minimal speech problems for 2 days. I have suffered some pain on starting a new set but thats good because it tells me that its working! To be honest it really did hurt at first but I take some painkillers for a couple of days when starting a new set. Nobody has noticed them, and when I've told people I'm wearing them, they need to look closely to believe me.
I can only speak for myself here and I appreciate that not everyone will be ideal candidates for this treatment but by the same token my own experience of Invisalign is brilliant! In case anyone is interested, I have spaces, particularly in my upper teeth, which, are being closed. I'm told that I'm an ideal candidate for Invisalign.
Some of the guys on here having some horrible problems, I feel for you big time and I hope that you find a quality dentist who will sort you out!
Peace to everyone!
6/8/08
Well I hated invisalign at first but I am so glad I don't have to wear metal braces. Invisalign is almost undetectable most of my friends don't know I have it until I tell them. And its going really quick only 9 more months to go. It'll go fast as it has already and it doesn't hurt anymore. Good luck to everyone its worth it!
6/8/08
"California crooked teeth" I think thats why its so important to get more than one opinion on invisalign and to make sure u don't go to an invisalign dentist because they will only try to promote their product. Maybe you needed metal braces many people aren't real candidates for invisalign and are talked into getting it. I hope it gets better for you.
6/15/08
Hi All,
Thanks for posting your experiences with Invisalign. I am scheduled to begin my process this week, but was told that at some point I would also need to have a frenulectomy separate, which is a laser will be used to detach a piece of skin that is attaching my gumline and upper lip, thus pulling my two front teeth apart. I've never had any procedures at the dentist beyond a teeth cleaning and am a little worried. Has anyone else had to have this done in order to straighten their teeth? What was it like and are there any risks?
6/16/08
With regard to tooth enamel. Traditional braces do not harm tooth enamel like invisalign for the simple reason that your salivia can still "wash" your teeth. When wearing invisalign your salivia is unable to wash your teeth. I've done the invisalign route and after 2.5 years of treatment metal braces were required and I wish I started with regular braces in the first place. Sorry but I've never had a caviiy in my life of 40 years and with invisalign that wonderful product contributed to my four or so cavities I received. My reccommendation: Stay away from invisalign - cavities are simply not worth it.
6/16/08
Thats why more and more people need to make sure you really need invisalign. So you don't get stuck with it when you needed braces in the first place. I think invisalign is so worth it nobody knows I wear it except for my boyfriend and family and they only know because I'm up close with them and I told them. I would never want braces over invisalign I can take out my invisalign whenever I need to instead of having metal in my mouth 24/7. Its great if you need invisalign but if you need braces thats what will help your teeth the best.
6/16/08
I don't know if you ever got a response on this but I'll share a technique that has worked well for me. I don't know where your attachments are but mine are six on the uppers two on the lowers. The lower attachments are evenly spaced so that tray comes out fairly easily. I slide a fingernail up at the back of the tray and just take the tray off.
The uppers I have one on the right side and starting at my front two teeth five more on every teeth going to the left. For this one I start with the right side, pushing down on the right side to get it off the attachment. Then I go to the left side and detach the tray from the first attachment on that side. Then I just gently "roll" the tray off towards the front of my mouth. That is the exact term my dentist used - roll them off. Hope that helps.
In other words, start with the side with less attachments to get it going and then the side with more attachments. Also, I had my attachments put on at lunch so the adhesive would have enough time to set so they didn't pop off.
BTW, I'm having issues eating also. I've dropped five pounds since June 4 (when I got the trays).
6/16/08
I am so glad you have a good attitude about your invisalign. I have to admit, I've never heard of anyone having 15! I thought my 8 were alot. I'm sure you look just fine with them. Mine are on my front teeth so they are hard to miss but I'm still glad I went with the invisalign. Instant teeth-alignment - that's a wonderful dream.
6/17/08
My dentist has recently said that I would be a good candidate for Invisaline, which I am fine with.
My question is, can they accidently come loose at night while sleeping? I'm worried about waking up choking....I know that's extreme, but I once had a TMJ retainer thing come loose at night, and it was kind of scary.
Thanks.
6/17/08
I don't see how they can come loose at night. The attachments (buttons) are fastened to grip onto the trays. I haven't heard of trays coming loose at night. It is wierd that your retainer came loose though. Did you ever find out how that happened?
6/17/08
I assume that the "TMJ thing" was an NTI device, and they are very small, so they could cause a choking hazard. It must not have been fitted correctly for it to come loose. The Invisalign aligners are too big to choke, and they are tightly fitted. I did have one aligner that never seated correctly, so that there was a gap, and the back of it flapped loose. But it never came off by itself. The attachments keep the aligners seated -- generally. If they don't, you need to get to your service provider immediately and get the problem fixed. If the attachments aren't seated in the dimples of the aligners, the aligners aren't working.
I cannot stress this enough, "Invisaligner" -- do not believe your dentist alone. Go and consult with an orthodontist. Even if it's an ortho who also does Invisalaign. The Invisalign dentist I went to keeps coming up with excuses for all the things that have gone wrong with my treatment -- saying that it's "normal" for my bite to be off so much at the end of treatment, and that it will self-correct. It's all rubbish. Invisalign is sold as a package, and there is no incentive for the providers to do anything beyond the minimum treatment. It is very high-profit for the providers. If you have a complete asessment by an ortho (who is not a quack), you will at least have a realistic prediction of what your teeth and bite will be when your treatment is finished. And he or she is more likely to be interested enough in the finished product to follow up on your treatment and make it work, because that is all orthos do. My Invisalign dentist is just counting the days until I'm out of there. He knows he isn't getting any more money out of me.
**As an aside, there is one response in this thread that I am fairly certain came from an Invisalign dentist. If I am right, you could at least identify yourself as such. Don't pretend to something else!**
6/17/08
Are you referring to me? I am not an Invisalign dentist, I'm an engineer. No pretending going on here.
6/18/08
Thank you everyone for your comments. Collectively, you have relieved my worries. It doesn't sound like they can come loose. I suppose a lot of people would have been complaining if that were the case.
I never found out how the retainer came loose, maybe just odd luck...but that was years ago with a dentist I found by necessity while on a business trip. My local, longtime dentist has referred me to an orthodontist, who will actually do the Invisaline work. He's in private practice, but is also the former head of a large dental school, so I feel confident that he'll be good. Thanks again for your quick responses.
6/18/08
My aligners are nice and snug and I can still feel saliva washing through the aligners and over my teeth. You just create suction in your mouth and a nice refreshing vaccuum of saliva washes your teeth nice and clean (as clean as they can get from saliva).
I have 7 buttons. I do not find them painful at all. I actually think they look cool.
Also, I have had absolutely no problem with dry mouth as some posters have indicated. If anything my mouth is salivating more (hence all the suction) since I started using them.
Also, since I have to remove them for eating/drinking, my breath is better, if anything, since I brush so often.
As for pain, I had experienced discomfort as my teeth were moving and getting worse. Now that they are being corrected, knowing that any discomfort I experience is the result of my teeth getting better actually makes the Invisaligns feel good.
I have to show people them in my mouth for anyone to notice I am even wearing them.
Good times!
6/19/08
uhmm maybe you didnt know this but for some teeth invisalign doesn't fix bites.. it just makes you have a nice smile.. but some teeth's bites are able to be fixed with invisalign
6/19/08
I am on my 5th week of invisalign and My migraine headaches which I used to get only once a month have tripled. I am considering stopping the treatment because of them! Anyone have any advice?? I really don't want to stop but I can't have these migrains this much! I think I clench because of the retainers thus causing the headaches. I do most of the grinding and clenching when I am asleep.
6/19/08
I had to take Valium for a bit during treatment for the same reason. The most intense jaw pain passed after about three weeks, but the migraines were a problem through much of the treatment, because it changes your bite. Invisalign is not good for teeth grinders or TMJ sufferers. I had acupuncture, too, which helped a little (at the very least, it relaxes you). I'd recommend finding a good certified Massage Therapist, and get a prescription for Immitrex (migraine medication) if you don't have one already.
I think I was at about the same level of treatment as you when my migraines got really bad. That's interesting.
My headaches have lessened now that the treatment is about over and my teeth aren't moving. But my bite is still unstable, so my jaw feels weak, and often sore.
6/20/08
I grinded my teeth really bad for the first couple of weeks and then it just stopped. What I would recommened is that when you change to a new tray put it in the night before and take an asprin. That works really well for me. I use to get bad migraines every morning but ever since I did that I don't get them at all anymore and I'm about two months in.
6/25/08
how much did you pay for your invisalign?? and does anyone know if you could put veneers on close to the end of your treatment....and still use the trays?
6/25/08
No one has mentioned the price of invisalign ... is it a standard price or variable depending on treatments?
6/25/08
Good response. I have had metal braces and they are nothing nice let me tell you. I am looking into INvisalign because my teeth are really crooked, again. I didn't wear a retainer after my braces were removed the first time so now htey have gone back to being crooked. Metal braces are ugly, they are painful and you can't take them out, at all, even for 1 minute, to have releif. It is hard to brush and floss your teeth and your lips, cheeks and tongue are constantly rubbing against the sharp metal edges. Hopefully the Invisalign work well for me!!!
6/25/08
If you want veneers, you will have to get new retainers made -- even if you get the veneers right away. All of the Invisalign aligners are designed by computer (your entire treatment is) and the retainers are just a final aligner made without the bumps to fit over buttons. The plastic is a little thicker, but otherwise, the retainer is just an an aligner. In other words -- it is designed at the same time that all of the other aligners are, even if it is not manufactured until you have agreed that the treatment is finished. The provider does not take a new impression at the end of your treatment unless you need a refinement (in which case you will have a new series of aligners made, and the retainer will be the final aligner for that series). My provider does not include a new retainer in the treatment package. Another dentist told me that some providers do include this. If you are going into treatment and know you will be getting veneers or bonding, you should negotiate the second aligner into the price!!!! My provider was very vague about this when I signed on. I told him I wanted veneers, and he gave me the impression that the second retainer would be included. Actually, he SAID it would, but apparently the fine print didn't. I would recommend negotiating a second retainer in any case because you might need a bite adjustment at the end of treatment, and any alteration of the teeth means a new retainer. I'm told they are expensive. Don't know the price, but a night guard (a similar device) that I had made a couple years ago was about $400.
And I'd ercommend, from personal experience, that you wear the retainers for at least a month before getting your veneers. Your teeth do shift a little as they settle into their final places. You don't want pressure on your veneers.
6/26/08
You'll love invisalign the first week is rough because your teeth are sore but after that it gets better and better. I'm so glad I got it done.
6/26/08
OMG!!! I thought I had done good research on this but am finding out now after 4 weeks of treatment what a horrible mistake I have made. I am in such terrible pain with my head and neck and am unable to sleep at night. The taste in my mouth and breath is horrible no matter how many times I brush and rinse. My husband tells me that my breath is the worst ever. I am taking way too much pain medication and am also seriously considering ending this torture. I have also noticed the enamel on my front teeth looks different and two of the buttons will not stay on because they were attached to crowns. My dentist (Invisalign)told me not to worry about it??? I ended up spending over $5,000.00 on this and am now making payments to Care Credit and need to find out how exactly I can handle stopping treatment. Please.. if there is anyone considering in stopping treatment let me know as I am considering in making this a public issue.
6/27/08
Hi everyone ,
I'm tryin to figure out whether i should get invisalign or regular braces! Does anyone know what i should do? i have really bad crooked teetch on my top line of teeth but my bottom row is pretty straight even though it can use a little word too! I'm confused because im hearing some bad things about invisalign but i am hearing some good things too... so if u have any info that u think might help please tell me about it !!!
Thanks ...
6/27/08
Wow thats too bad. I'm on 2 months and I love the invisalign. But I have an orthodontist not an invisalign dentists. You should go to an ortho an get a second opinion. The pain was bad at first but that stopped after the first week. People don't go to an invisalign dentist! Their bi-est after all. An orthodontist will give you a real acurate opinion.
6/27/08
After suffering with the Invisalign treatment I am advising everyone to think twice before starting this procedure... DO NOT go to a cosmetic dentist. They will tell you anything just to get $$$$$ out of you. You should first go to a professional orthodontist with at least 10 years of service who will hopefully advise you correctly. (You never know, sometimes they just want your money too). You should check with family or friends who can refer you to someone good. Alot of what you read about positive results with the Invisalign has been written by the office employees who work for these dishonest people. How do I know?? A friend of my cousin's who used to work at a cosmetic dentist office informed me that it is done all the time, they just follow up any bad reviews with at least 2 or 3 good ones. She finally quit because she could no longer deal with the dishonesty. If you enjoy suffering, then go for it, otherwise look for other options.
6/28/08
Employees writing reviews? That would explain the pattern in this thread. Every time someone complains, there are these completely delighted people who post...Hmmm.
I have lost a year of my life to Invisalign, and I've spent more than $6k on it. I have lost tooth enamel, had my teeth chipped (when the buttons were removed), sufferred unimaginably horrific migraines. My bite is still unstable and my jaw hurts, even though I am through with the treatment. As I have posted, I should have gone to an orthodontist. But even more than that, I should have consulted with a specialist who deals with bite problems and TMJ. I blame my regular dentist for some of this. My dentist is the one who made my bite so bad in the first place (badly adjusted crowns increased my bite problem markedly), and my dentist is the one who announced that I didn't have TMJ, when in fact I do.
Invisalign providers rope you in with a "free" consult, but by the time they take the impressions, and you come back and get the the proposed treatment presentation, it's easy to feel as if you have to go with that provider if you do Invisalign. In fact, there is no reason you can't consult with other providers -- as many as you like.
6/28/08
Wow really Invisalign isn't that bad at all. I'm on my 2nd month and I love it. I did go to an orthodontist though who has over 15 yrs of experience so he made sure I really was a good candidate. I do agree with not going to a cosmetic dentist I've heard so many bad stories about them. I have a friend that had braces and she said that I am so lucky to not have to wear them. I can take out my invisalign whenever I want and nobody knows I have them unless I tell them. Invisalign is painful for the first couple of days when you first start but that was expected. Now I don't have any pain and when I switch to a new tray I just make sure to take aspirin just in case. I can't wait till its done with only 8 more months to go and I'm already noticing a difference in my teeth.
6/28/08
Well it depends on weither your a good candidate or not. Go to an orthodontist who has had many yrs of experience. My top teeth are overlapping and my bottom teeth are too so I was a good candidate for invisalign because my teeth are overlapping but my bite is not messed up. Just do your research I'm on month 2 and I love it. But just make sure thats the right thing for you invisalign isn't for everyone. I am so glad I got it though cause metal braces are so visible and you can barely see the invisalign.
6/28/08
I am on the 5th day of Invisalign, which requires 18 trays, and 7 buttons. My teeth were very sore the first couple of days and the bottom tray ripped up my tounge. But, I have realized that I just simply should not drink Vodka with a straw. My mouth and lips are very dry, but the sore tounge has nearly disappeared. Hopefully, the dry mouth will too!! Any suggestions on relief? Thanks
6/29/08
This sounds an awful lot like one of those provider-employee reviews. The tipoff? "And nobody knows I have them unless I tell them." Straight out of the company literature! And it's absolutely not true!! The aligners impede your speech, and they look as if your teeth are encased in plastic -- because they are. None of the Invisalign ads or literature show the ugly buttons most people will have glued to their teeth, and none of my aligners filt as snugly, or were manufactured as cleanly, as the one shown on Invisalign commercials (the edges where cut roughly, and were shorter than my teeth, which hardly makes the aligner "invisible", and there were gaps between my front teeth and the aligners).
And then there is the matter of the aligners darkening your teeth.
The other tipoffs: "with only eight months to go and I'm alredy noticing a difference" -- no one says "only" eight months, and odds are it won't just be the eight months either. The treatments times tend to extend into overtime. My treatment time doubled.
6/30/08
Are you kidding me? Wow I'm a 22 yr old college student. Just b/c I say that I like my invisalign doesn't mean I'm a "provider-emloyee" seriously chill out. Sorry that your invisalign isn't working for you but I like mine and I will always say positives about it b/c it is working for me. So don't try to downgrade my comments by claiming I'm an "employee" alot of people do have positive experiences with invisalign. I only have 6 buttons so they don't bother me now they hurt like anything at first but now I don't feel them and yes the invisalign is a bit longer than my teeth my ortho did a good job at getting it pretty accurate. Maybe ur ortho didn't do a good job and thats why you can see it more. And the aligners have not darkened my teeth b/c I have followed what they said about not drinking any soda or coffee when I wear them. And they only impeded my speech for the first week I had them now my speech is fine. And whats wrong with me saying I'm excited about having only 8 months left? I might have to wear them longer towards the end if my teeth don't do what they're supposed to do but as of right now my teeth are making good progress. If I do have to wear them a little longer I don't care because I want my teeth to look great. So next time I or anyone else makes a positive comment about invisalign don't just automatically assume we're a "provider-employee" just because you've had a bad experience with them. I hope it gets better for you.
6/30/08
Good for you sweetie, I'm glad that you are having progress with your treatment. I do find it interesting though as to how sensitive you are to the provider employee comments. By the way, those of you that seem to be satisfied and happy with the Invisalign treatment, why would you even bother responding to a page that reads, 'Invisalign Not worth It'?? All of you 'HAPPY' people should keep your 'HAPPY thoughts on the 'HAPPY' page and let the rest of us continue to bitch... Remember Invisalign IS NOT for everybody.
6/30/08
Really isn't the whole point of blogging being able to share your opinion positive or negative? I'm not saying that I have had a 100% great experience with my invisalign but the orginial comment I made was for a person who was deciding to do invisalign or braces I was comparing my experience to that and thats when I was called a "provider employee". So don't try and say that just because my experience isn't completely shity that I have a sensitive opinion to the provider. You act like they're aren't plenty of people that have had a great experience with invisalign. I'm sorry your experience has sucked so badly but don't try and yell at people who are only giving their opionion at what their experience has been too. I never said invisalign was for everybody thats probably one of the main problems for many of people on here. They were talked into getting invisalign when they weren't a candidate for it in the first place. I have complained on here before thats why I came on here in the first place and I will continue to show the positive and the negative of my experience.
6/30/08
When I first started my mouth was soo dry. But after the first week it gets better. My mouth was rubbed raw at first too from the tray but after about 5 days it stopped if it doesn't I know people who have said they brought their tray back to the orthodontist and got them to sand it down. That should help.
7/1/08
heh heh. I suspect that most of you who describe the Invisalign buttons as 'terrible' and 'irritating' never had to deal with old-fashioned braces. (I'd had conventional braces as a teen, but 40 years later, my bottom teeth were terribly misaligned again.)
I got headaches and mouth ulcers and less-than-charming breath under both systems, but all the pain and annoyance and embarrassment was far far far worse with conventional braces than with the Invisaligns.
7/1/08
They're not very noticeable. And you can pop them out during a photo shoot. You'll still have the little anchor "buds" glued to a few of your teeth, but ... I didn't find those all that noticeable, and neither did any of my friends. They're tooth-colored.
And even if the "buds" show up in your modeling photos, you know the guys can just PhotoShop them out.
They are *so* much better than braces. I can't even tell you ...
But you may find yourself with a little lisp while they're in, and you'll need to keep the teeth and the trays very very clean.
7/1/08
By the way, I am *not* an employee of any dentist or tooth care company.
I'm a generally skeptical retired person who is very good at complaining when she doesn't get good service.
And I still think Invisalign is far superior to conventional braces.
7/1/08
"California Crookedteeth" you seem to hate your Invisalign, you could be an employee of a competitor! ever thought of that, i mean your story sounds a little odd!
7/1/08
How absurd, CJ123! The only reason Invisalign gets so much business is that it HAS NO COMPETITION. I posted here to protect other people -- full stop. Invisalign misleads consumers in its advertising, and through its providers. I want people to be fully informed before they give up a year or more of normal life for their teeth. I think that the reaction to my last post has proved the assertion of the previous poster: that employees of Invisalign providers (and people otherwise poised to benefit from doing so) boost the product on these forums. As to the poster who said I was obviously "not a candidate" for Invisalign...excuse me? Invisalign AND and my Invisalign provider (with some reservations about whether Invisalign would agree) both decided that I was. The reason I encourage people to go to an ortho rather than a dentist is so that they can, first, have the advice of someone who actually knows what they are doing (dentists don't know orthodontics), and second, have the option of using orthodontic devices other than Invisalign.
I was going through some paperwork recently and found my Informed Consent and Agreement" for Invisalign. I laughed when I read it because I recognized some of the wording from positive posts I've seen here ("Aligners are nearly invisible so people won't realize you are in treatment", for instance). But one thing I read made me good and angry, based on my experience. This wording is entirely misleading: "Invisalign products combine your doctor's diagnosis and prescription with sophisticated computer graphics technology to develop a treament plan..."" and "upon approval of a treatment plan developed by your doctor, a series of customized Invisalign aligners are produced...". My Invisalign dentist made it clear from the get-go that Invisalign would diagnose the problem, design the treatment, and call the shots. He expressed doubt, when looking at my bite, that Invisalign would attempt it, but he said that sometimes they can come up with a plan. Whenever I went into the office for work during the treatment -- stripping the sides of teeth, or just getting new trays -- the dentist was consulting the directions from Invisalign. The truth is that when you sign on for Invisalign your real "provider" is a clinician in front of a computer somewhere, and it's a one-time treatment, as the aligners are all manufactured at once. The dentist you actually see is simply following Invisalign instructions (and when something isn't working well, therefore, he or she simply refers you to your Invisalign disclaimer). I have no reason to think that the experience would be any different with an orthodontist, since the product and therefore the course of treatment would be the the same, but at least he or she would have a deeper understanding of what is going on with your bite than a dentist would.
And btw, I believe that every single bad side effect mentioned in this thread is covered in the disclaimer (Informed Consent). Twenty-one "risks and inconveniences", from bad breath to scratched and dry mouths to head, neck and jaw aches, to tooth decay and even loss. Invisalign (Align Technologies, Inc.) has themselves covered.
7/2/08
So only people who say positives on here are benefiting from boosting the product? I think anybody who has been through or is currently going through invisalign understands and feels sympathy for people whose process with the product went completly wrong. But to make it seem like nobody benefits from the product is crap. Invisalign doesn't mislead you if you really do your research. My ortho told me about the side effects such as the headaches and I did a lot of my own research online before hand to make sure it was the right decision. I never said that you weren't a candidate I said a lot of people on here probably aren't a candidate for invisalign and I do believe going to an orthodontist is better because they are not trying to sell only one product my ortho told me that he would make sure that whichever product braces or invisalign to make sure I was an ideal candidate for either and my teeth aren't too bad so I got lucky enough to get invisalign. There are negatives and positives to any procedure and with any product there is a percentage of people who don't benefit.
7/2/08
Colleen,
I have been looking for a comment around length of time between aligners! I'm just starting my second aligner but with my first I thought the last week was a waste. Do you move to the next aligner after a week? By doing this have you cut your treatment time in half?
7/2/08
I researched before I decided to get the aligners and I found the majority average time (is a misnomer) is 2 weeks between trays. Mine are two weeks as well. I have seen other lengths of time though, as low as 11 days between trays and my co-worker's mom (who is a dentist) has per Invisalign patients change their trays every 3 to 4 weeks.
7/2/08
I paid $3500 for my Invisaligns. The price does depend on the degree of crookedness. For example, my brother got them and he paid $4500 and my sister paid $5000. All from the same dental office.
I'm on my last set of refinements and I'm worried that my teeth won't be perfect when it's over. Some of my teeth are still not straight. It's been over a year since I started and I'm sad that the end result won't be as beautiful as I had hoped. Anyone else in the same situation.
Also, I've had 2 cavities this year!
Not sure if this is the best way to get perfect teeth! There may not be an equal alternative to traditional braces.
7/3/08
A few notes here....
What to know whether Invisalign is worth its salt? Just ask folks who have already gone down that road only to have to switch to fixed appliance (yes, like myself). No one ever starts off with fixed appliance and switches over to Invisalign. :)
What happens in a computer model and what happens in real life according the human body is two completely different things. Do not believe the computer - it does not know how to calculate cell and tissue reaction in YOUR body.
For those folks who want to "speed" up this process....that is one of the silliest things you will ever do. Generally as teeth move the roots will shorten and the faster a tooth moves the depth of its roots are shorten more so then when the tooth moves slowly. Do not be in a hurry with this process.
Tooth aligning starts from the rear teeth to the front. This doesn't matter if you are on invisalign or not. Results on the front canines are not noticalbe towards the end of treatment.
One last final note. IMHO, going to a dentist for alligning teeth is like going to an orthodontist for a cleaning.
7/3/08
I am now into the 18th month of my invisalign treatment (although i was originally told it would be 6.5 months) I am going back to my dentist for a 'fourth set' of aligners due to still having visible gaps between my 4 FRONT teeth (originally made by the denitist to allow my teeth room to move). I am now seriously thinking that my gaps may never close and that i will have a gappy smile forever. I am supposed to be getting attachments on them this time in order to allow the trays to grab the teeth more easily in order to manouvre them-something i don't really want to do but have been told it's the only option. For me personally invisalign has been alot of hard work for nothing so far-my only hope is that the dentist is right when he says it will work this time-although i have believed him every other time and it hasn't. At the moment i would not reccommend invisalign to anyone especially because my problem was so simple (hence the reason why i was only given 6.5 months) and yet it still hasn't worked. All the pictures of models with perfect smiles are definetely Not the reality in my view.
7/3/08
I had them years and years ago when they first came out. It ended up being a nightmare and after two years and seven start over fittings there was nothing else they could do. But I was one of the first patients and my teeth are still noticeably straighter. Hopefully it has gotten better since then.To answer you question about the scratching, I quit brushing mine and started washing them with dial antibacterial soap and a wash cloth or my hands. They seemed to get cleaner that way and didn't get scratched. Don't drink anything but water with them. Anything dark will stain them and it's just gross to have liquid inbetween the trays and your teeth.
7/3/08
The current recommendation is 18 days between trays. The latter part of this time is for the teeth to "firm up" in their new positions, so you don't see any change, but it's necessary to be patient. You can cause root damage if you aren't. If you are seeing a reputable Invisalign service provider, you will not have received all of your trays at once! You should get them in sets of three or four, and have to go into the office for a checkup to get the next sets. Part of what you are payng for is monitoring by a service provider!!! My provider just handed me my new trays on a couple of visits because the office was busy -- that's how good my service was. Invisalign seems to exercise no quality control over its providers, and no oversight.
7/23/08
I have 6 buttons and can sympathize! I have put some orthodontist wax on the buttons when I take the trays out to ease up on the scratchy-ness and it has worked wonders! I have only swallowed a tiny bit of wax and am still alive!! I do drink tea pretty much non stop (I work nights) and as long as you drink it thru a straw, I have had no problems at all...My trays get a little discolored in the back where the tea hits them but it brushes right off! I did switch to AIM toothpaste as it was rated #1 by Consumer Reports for whitening and actually had three people ask me last week if I had my teeth bleached! NO, I just brush them upmteen million times a day now!! ha ha! I am a snacker so I do brush alot now! good luck!
7/29/08
Sounds like you've got a sh*t ortho/dentist.
You said:
"My Invisalign dentist made it clear from the get-go that Invisalign would diagnose the problem, design the treatment, and call the shots. He expressed doubt, when looking at my bite, that Invisalign would attempt it, but he said that sometimes they can come up with a plan."
But its actually the orthodontist or dentist who decides how they are going to address each problem.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Its the orthodontist not Invisalign who decides where your attatchments (buttons)go.
Its the ortho who can take new impressions and easily request for new trays to be made if yours arent fitting properly or are having any other issues.
In regards to bite problems...there are a couple of ways in which this can be fixed.
-One way is by having rubber bands attached to specially made attatchments which pull/push the jaws into place.
-And the other way (which im getting done) is having traditional braces attached to my back 3 teeth top and bottom and having springs put the jaw into place.
Obviously it seems that you werent clued up in the first plave and werent able to confront your dentist about it because really you had no idea what was going on yourself.
Stop complaining!...its not the end of the world.
7/29/08
Not only are you rude and insulting, you are incorrect on several points. You are the one who had "no idea what was going on yourself." No reason to be like that here, "Rosieee".
Diagnosis and treatment planning is done by Invisalign. That is why a dentist can do tooth alignment, even though said dentist is not an orthodontist. Invisalign "clinicians" use a computer program to plan tooth movement. (Did you get a copy of the computer animation of your teeth moving into place? That was done by Invisalign.) Invisalign designates where the buttons go. Dentists or orthos can fiddle with the system and add rubber bands, or extra cement between teeth, and can order new aligners when these changes are made -- all